Namibia aims for poultry self-sufficiency

Namib Poultry Industries, which began construction in April of a multi-million dollar poultry facility, aims to produce 250,000 chickens per week, enough to “serve the whole Namibian market” once it reaches full production in mid-2012.

Gys White, Managing Director of Namib Poultry Industries explained that Namib Poultry Industries focus will initially on the local market and to stimulate the market locally, adding that the current per capita consumption of chicken per year is 8 kilograms. By focusing on the local market, Namib Poultry “can easily double the per capita consumption to 15 kg a year”, White said.

“The broiler plant will comply with European Union standards from production to employment standards,” said White, adding that apart from producing the final product, the company will also look at developing branded chicken shops from where their product will be distributed in Namibia.

The chickens will be raised on soya and maize based feed and no artificial growth stimulants will be added to the feed in order to comply with strict international standards on feed supplements. The broiler plant will include a breeder farm with six rearing houses and 12 laying houses producing close to 325 000 hatch-able eggs per week. In addition, the plant will consist of a hatchery producing 250 000 day old chicks per week. The broiler farm will include 35 houses where the day old chicks are grown to be slaughtered in the abattoir.

By the time production kicks off mid-2012, Namib Poultry Industries, situated between Windhoek and Okahandja at Klein Kapuka Farm, will employ a permanent staff of 450 employees.

Namib Poultry is the third subsidiary of the NMI group, with Feedmaster and Namib Mills completing the group structure.

Source: Tne Namibian